Lifestyle West Blog

Welcome American Travellers

How Keen are Canadian Families to Travel in 2013?

Movies, meals, and more: these are among the things Canadians families are willing to sacrifice for their holidays this year.

According to a new survey from Thomas Cook Travel, 77% of Canadian families plan to travel, by highway or by skies, for a holiday in 2013. And they’ll do (almost) anything to pay for it.

Cutting back on dining out and entertainment

A whole 61% of Canadian families say they’d spend less on eating out in order to save for a family trip.

A whopping 70% of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents are willing to give up a restaurant meal so they can contribute to the family holiday piggy bank.

Only 44% of Atlantic Canadians are ready to give up on take-out to save for a vacation

On average, 57% of Canadian families are willing to give up on extra entertainment, such as going to the movies to help pay for that upcoming holiday. British Columbians (51%) were the least likely to give up their entertainment.

Canadians are committed to funding their ever-important family getaways in 2013.

(Photo by Ben Ullman/sxc)

Kids are now VPs of The Itinerary Department

The survey found that in most families, children are getting more involved in planning the big family trip. Most Canadian parents (59%) say they encourage their kids to help pick both the destination and the activities for their annual holiday.

Choosing the perfect family holiday destination

Parents are no longer closing their eyes and pointing to a spot on the map. Today, Canadian families spend a lot of time researching where they’ll go. Here are some of their considerations:

Most (69%) of respondents say room size is important

A majority—82%—review what kind of foods are on offer at a resort or hotel

Not surprising, 92% of families look into the destination’s overall safety